Combined ironing-board and container



'- W. A. RANKIN.

COMBINED IRONING BOARD AND CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15. 1917.

1,334,792, Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I w. A. RANKIN COMBINED IRONING BOARD AND CONTAINER.

AP LICATION FILED OCT. L). I917. 1,334,792. Patented Mar. 23, 1920,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I UfzYZz'am o4. Fanh'n- WILLIAM A. RANKIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIEE, ASS IGNOR, BY MESNE FJSIGNMENTS, TO

EDISON ELECTRIC APPLIANCE COMPANY, INCORPORATED, It. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COMBINED IRONING-BUARIJ AND CONTAINER.

Application filed October 15, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, l vintnmr A. RANKIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cool: and State o'l lllinois, have invented certain new and useful linproveinents in Combined IroninglBoards and Containers, of which the tot lowing a specification.

This invention relates primarily to coin tainers for the reception of irons, electric or otherwise, particularly those that are sub standard in size and weight and thus especially adapted for use by travelers, and has ttor its object the provision of a device o t' this character which may normally be sed as a container "for the iron when the same is not in use but which. when it is desired. to use the iron may be adjusted to act as an ironing board.

l Vith the above and other objects in view, as will be apparent, this invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present invention illustrating the same functioning as a container for the iron;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the present invention extended to act as an ironing board;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof extended as in Fig. 2;

Fig. l is a transverse section taken along line st 1 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a central. vertical section taken along line ol Fig. l.

The present invention being designed to act not only as a container for an iron but also as an ironing board, must be so constructed that it will securely hold and retain. the iron when so desired, and at the same time present a continuous plane surface, firmly supported throughout its entire lei'igth, when extended for the purposes of creating an ironing board. To accomplish this the pres ent device constitutes a series out elements pivoted together to act as side walls or sides upon functioning as a container and to rest in the same plane, when extended, to create the operating surface of the ironing; board. Each of these side members at or adjacent their terminals carry elements which when the device is functioning as a contaii'ier constitute the end Walls or ends thereof and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. lean.

Serial No. 196,624.

which when the device is being used as an ironing board. are so arranged that their outer edges rest in the same plane to create continuous supports for the ends of the side elements so that upon extending the latter to form. an ironing board, it will be entirely and wholly supported on each side ilierco'l throughout its full length.

In carrying out the present invention the elements 10, 11, 12 and 13-) are pivoted together by the hinges it at their abutting edges, except the abutting edges of the ele ments l0 and 13 which are uiiconnected. These elements 10, 11, 12 and 13 are the sides of the container when the device 'lunc' tions as such and combine to create the op mating surface of the ironing board upon the device being adjusted to so function.

l l hile the sides 10, 11, 12 and 13 harry all be of the same width, they are however illustrated here as being so constructed that the sides and 12 and the sides 11 and 18 are off the same width, the latter group being somewhat narrower than the former group,

in order that the container may conform as nearly as possible to the shape and size of the iron. In length, all of the. sides 10, 11,

12 and 13 correspond thus producing an ironing board of an. equal width through its entire length. r

In order to provide ends for the container and a support for the ironing board when the sides 10, 11, 12 and 13 are extended coplanar to form the same, the sides 10 and I'll each have the end members 15 fixed to the extreme terminals thereof, the outer surfaces of said end members resting in. the same plane as the terminals of said sides. The sides 11 and 13 have the sin'iilar end members 16 secured and fixed thereto with the exception that the same are removed from the terminals of said sides a distance equal. to the thickness of the end members 15, as can be seen from Fig. 3 of the drawings. This removed position of the ends 16 is re sponsible for the lips or shoulders 17 of the sides 11 and 13 upon which rest the end members 15 of the sides 10 and 12 during the time the device performs as a container.

The ends 15 and 16 are equal in length to sides 10, 11, 12 or 13 and the remaining sides swung about the hinges 14 until each side rests at right angles to the adjoining sides. By thus positioning the sides 10, 11, 12 and 13, the ends 15 of the sides 10 and 12 have their free edges abutting and the bodies thereof occupying the same plane, thereby forming the ends of the container. This adjustment of the apparatus locates the ends 16 in co-planar positions to the rear of the ends 15 Where they act as braces so far as possible to take up such lateral strains as may occur ofi' of the hinges 14.

In order to provide for the locking of the heretofore described elements in their re spective positions When the device is operating as a container, the terminals of the side 13 are supplied with the pins 18 at points adjoining the free edge of said side, Which cooperate with the corresponding hooks 19 pivoted to the ends 15 carried by the side 10, so that upon the engagement of the pins 18 by the hooks 19 all of the elements of the present construction are rigidly and firmly secured together to forma substantial container for an iron.

To adapt the present invention for use as an ironing board, the pins 18 are released from engagement by the hooks 19 thus permitting the sides 10, 11, 12 and 13 to be swung about the hinges 14 until the corresponding edges thereof abut, at which time said sides occupy the same plane. This 10- cates the ends 15 and 16 in planes at right angles to the plane of the said sides 10, 11, 12 and 13 and With their free edges in a common plane parallel to the plane of said sides. Thus it is manifest that the sides 10, 11, 12 and 13, occupying as they do a common plane, create in combination an ironing board supported on both sides thereof throughout its entire length by the ends 15 and 16.

It is obvious that many changes and modifications of the present invention may be i made Without departing from the spirit and sco 3e hereof.

W hat is claimed A combined container and ironing board comprising four container sides and an end member fixed adjacent each terminal 01 each of said sides and at right angles thereto, said sides being hinged to each other to be extended repeatedly into substantially a single plane and repeatedly folded to form the container, the said end members being of equal Widths and providing supports for said sides when the latter are in extended position and alternate end members being oilset inwardly a distance equal to the thickness of the respective adjacent end members.

WILLIAM A. RANKIN. 

